How did You celebrate Pentecost?
Luke 11:13 If you… give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?
Matthew 5:6 Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled.
John 7:37-39 and in the last day of the great feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. [38] He who believes on Me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.’” [39] (But He spoke this about the Spirit, which they who believed on Him should receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.)
There are basically three groups of believers in thought and practice with respect to Pentecost and the experience it promises:
- Those who will not seek it because they are fearful they will receive something evil; since the effects are not consistent with their take on the subject.
- Those who think they already have it and thus believe it pointless to seek it. These never pause to consider why there is no power in the words they speak. They never notice that though the sacrifice in “on the altar”, there is “no fire” consuming it.
- Those who hunger and thirst for all God has for them – and they lay down no rules or parameters as to how they will receive it nor what effect it will have on their lives. They hunger for the fullness of God in Christ – and nothing else will satisfy them.
I wonder to which group you belong dear reader. I wonder if maybe your knowledge and experience is like the Ephesian believers:
Acts 19:1-2 during the stay of Apollos in Corinth, Paul, after passing through the inland districts, came to Ephesus, where he found a few disciples. [2] "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you first believed?" he asked them. "No," they replied, "we did not even hear that there is a Holy Spirit." (Weymouth)
These were believers – who needed what God had for them. Notice what Paul did:
- Administered the correct rite of baptism – in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. (If they weren’t Christians before they sure were now!)
- Laid hands on them (prayer implied) for the Baptism in the Holy Spirit.
Notice the result!
- The Holy Spirit came upon them.
- They spoke in tongues (definitely no preaching here as many aver happened at Pentecost in Jerusalem)
This “Baptism” in the Holy Spirit is not salvation – else every person who gets saved should immediately begin “speaking in tongues” as proof of their salvation. Salvation is inward and unseen by those on the outside. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is visible to all and has immediate outward demonstrations.
This “baptism” is a gift from God – and it is a good gift. It is however a gift to be sought and desired. God will never give you what you haven’t asked for or desire!
Are you thirsty for God?
Do you want what God has for you?
Have you been asking Him for this gift of the Holy Spirit?
Have you given up because He didn’t respond immediately to your plea?
Have you somehow explained away the reason you haven’t seen or experienced it?
Are you contented to live a spiritually dry existence and believe it is normal?
Have you been blinded to the truth by others who don’t have it? The blind lead the blind and both come short.
If you are indeed a child of God, there is a deep down longing for more of the Lord. The psalmist said: “Deep calleth unto deep.” Listen and yield to the longing in your spirit and go to the Lord Jesus who is the baptizer. His call today still rings out:
“If any are thirsty – come and drink!”
He always gives good and beneficial gifts – don’t reject this one because of wrong teaching – press in and enjoy the “Land flowing with milk and honey.”
You don’t have to wait for the day of Pentecost – now is the accepted time. Go to Jesus now and receive now. Yesterday, today and forever; Jesus is the same!
Peter Crause
This is not copyrighted and may be freely used and distributed.
e-mail: crause.pd@shaw.ca
